NASA research could lead to predicting sinkholes

WASHINGTON Radar images taken from planes or satellites could someday be used to predict where sinkholes might form a potential boon for Florida, the nations sinkhole capital.

The possibility of an early-warning system stems from new NASA research into a monstrous sinkhole that opened in Louisiana in 2012, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents.

Two NASA researchers examined radar images of the sinkhole area near Bayou Corne, La. Cathleen Jones and Ron Blom discovered that the ground near Bayou Corne began shifting at least a month before the sinkhole formed as much as 10 inches toward where the sinkhole started. Since its formation, the sinkhole has expanded to 25 acres and is still growing.

The NASA findings raise the possibility that engineers eventually could develop a way to predict the location of sinkholes. It would require the constant collection and monitoring of the Earths surface with radar data collected from planes or satellites.

Its not a magic bullet, Blom said. But it could be one more tool in a tool kit.

The radar images studied by the two NASA scientists were part of the agencys ongoing effort to monitor the Louisiana coast, which is rapidly sinking into the Gulf of Mexico. Although the Louisiana images were taken from a research jet, the scientists said a satellite with similar technology could do the same job.

And though such a system wouldnt be cheap the price of building and launching a satellite usually is in the hundreds of millions of dollars the gains could be significant. In Florida alone, sinkholes cause about that much property damage each year.

Although there are no recent state data on sinkhole damage, a 2010 report by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation estimated that sinkholes each year cost the state $200 million to $400 million.

Thousands of claims related to sinkholes were made and closed in recent years. In 2009 alone, there were about 4,700 closed claims and 2,600 open claims, according to the report. The majority of claims tallied by state officials were from three counties Hernando, Pasco and Hillsborough along Floridas west coast though Orange and Polk were in the top 10 statewide from 2006 to 2010.

In one high-profile case last year, a sinkhole wrecked villas at Summer Bay Resort near Walt Disney World, forcing residents to evacuate.

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NASA research could lead to predicting sinkholes

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden’s inspirational talk at Questacon March 2014 – Video


NASA Administrator Charles Bolden #39;s inspirational talk at Questacon March 2014
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NASA’s Ground Systems Development and Operations Program Completes Preliminary Design Review – Video


NASA #39;s Ground Systems Development and Operations Program Completes Preliminary Design Review
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NASA asks public to vote on Z-2 spacesuit design

NASA has gone a touch sartorial as it asks the public to vote on the design of its new prototype Z-2 spacesuit. Part of the Advanced Suit development program to come up with a replacement for the 22-year old suit designs currently used on the International Space Station, the Z-2 not only includes a number of technical innovations, but also a design that for the first time has an eye on the aesthetics of living and working in outer space.

In 2012, NASA showed off its Z-1 spacesuit prototype. The first new spacesuit developed by NASA in 20 years, it was named one of Time magazine's Best Inventions of that year. Its purpose wasnt just to replace an aging system, but to introduce a number of new ideas to make spacesuits a bit more efficient.

Spacesuits are anything but an inflatable set of coveralls and, with the exception of Sandra Bullock, they can't be put on or taken off in a few seconds. If anything, theyre less like long johns and more like mixed-gas deep diving rigs that require a lot of training and about an hour to put on after a long, boring period of breathing pure oxygen to avoid a nasty case of the bends. The Z-1 was designed to make spacewalks a bit easier.

The Z-1 prototype (Image: NASA)

Among a number of innovations, the Z-1 included a rear-entry hatch similar to those found on Russian spacesuits, but had the added advantage of allowing the suit to dock directly with a spacecraft. This not only made the suit easier to get in and out of, but because the spacecraft and suit were of the same pressure, there wasnt the need for a lengthy pre-breathing period. Then, of course, there was the aesthetic element that the Z-1 resembled Buzz Lightyears wardrobe, which caught the publics imagination.

The Z-2 prototype is the next step in the new spacesuit's evolution. Unlike the Z-1, which was made of soft fabrics and was more of a concept in many ways than a functioning system, the Z-2 will be the first spacesuit designed specifically for working on a planet surface to be tested in full vacuum. Tailored using 3D laser scans and incorporating 3D-printed components, its also the first rear-entry suit to use a hard upper torso, which makes it easier to wear, more durable, more impact resistant, and configurable to astronauts of different sizes. In addition, the joints have been redesigned based on tests of the Z-1 to make them more mobile, yet compatible with working in a hard vacuum.

According to NASA, the Z-2 will undergo a battery of extensive tests of its mobility, ability to work in a vacuum, comfort, with neutral buoyancy tests in a pool to simulate zero gravity and working on a simulated Martian landscape at the Johnson Space Center in Texas.

Another first for the Z-2 is that its not only being designed for looks as well as function, but the public is invited to vote on the design. The competing designs were produced in collaboration with ILC, the primary suit vendor, and Philadelphia University, and are for the outer shell of the suit, which protects it against chafing and snagging, as well as incorporating luminous elements to make it easy to see and identify in the dark. The space agency says that the three versions are aimed at showing off some aspects of the suits mobility.

Taking its cues from deep sea life, biomimicry has segmented pleats at the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee, and electroluminescent wire across the upper torso, which lights up as the ambient light dims like some sort of outer space jellyfish. The texture even has a scaly look like fish skin.

Technology, as the name implies, looks back to more conventional spacesuits, but with some sci-fi elements added, such as Luminex wire and light-emitting patches for crew identification. The Technology design has exposed rotating bearings, collapsing pleats for mobility and highlighted movement, and abrasion-resistant panels on the lower torso.

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How will capturing an asteroid help put humans on Mars? NASA chief explains.

NASA's asteroid mission will test propulsion systems and other technologies that can ultimately establish a human presence on Mars, says NASAchief Charles Bolden.

NASA's wild plan to capture an asteroid and park it near the moon is only one step on the way to Mars, NASA chief Charles Bolden said Wednesday (March 26).

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The space agency is planning an ambitious mission to send a robotic spacecraft to an asteroid, bag the space rock and bring it into orbit around the moon. While the asteroid-capture mission may sound like a huge task in its own right, Bolden thinks that it's only one leap toward a larger mission. The space agency should be focused on getting humans to Mars and establishing a presence on the Red Planet for years to come, Bolden said.

"The ultimate thing is to put boots on the ground on Mars, and that's not just to do a touch and go," Bolden said during a forum about the asteroid initiative Wednesday. "It's to live there one of these days." [NASA's Asteroid Capture Mission in Photos]

Though it might not be the ultimate goal, the asteroid redirect mission is still an important step that can be used to test propulsion systems and other technology that could help humans get to Mars. The asteroid mission may also be a good way to gather more information about the early solar system and develop asteroid mining techniques, advocates of the mission have said.

"We really make a big deal out of this [asteroid] initiative, but you should all understand, this is a tiny, tiny piece of getting humans to Mars," Bolden said. "I don't want anybody to lose focus on that. The ultimate goal of this agency right now when it comes to human spaceflight is to put humans on Mars. That's hard. That is really hard. We need a proving ground to develop some of the technologies and everything else."

That proving ground could be the asteroid capture mission. So far, NASA scientists have identified some promising asteroids that could potentially be captured and dragged into a stable orbit around the moon. NASA would launch a robotic mission to retrieve the chosen space rock and tow it into lunar orbit, where astronauts could visit and sample the asteroid by 2025.

Engineers are looking into two different ideas for how the retrieval mission would work. In one mission, the robotic spacecraft would visit a large asteroid and pluck a boulder off of it, bringing it back to lunar orbit. In the other, NASA would target a small asteroid that could be lassoed and deposited in a stable orbit. Scientists have now identified about six target asteroids for each of the missions.

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How will capturing an asteroid help put humans on Mars? NASA chief explains.

100% CONFIRMED Multiple Objects Bombarded The Moon Multiple Craters Why Is NASA SILENT? – Video


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2014 DarkSkyWatchers Global Skywatch Network - Recorded Live 07:03am UTC Kingman Arizona - (NASA I #39;M CALLING YOU OUT DIRECTLY TO RELEASE IMMEDIATE CONFIRMAT...

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Actor Luke Wilson talks about NASA helping to make life better for people on Earth
Actor Luke Wilson promotes notable NASA Spinoff technologies -- technologies used in everyday products and services derived from investments, innovations and...

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